ADVENTURE QUICKIES: RESTRICTED PCT PERMITS,

Week in and week out there is always more adventure news, gear deals, and travel options to share than there is time and space to write about it. To make up for this, every Friday I post a series of “Adventure Quickies” that help spread the news by providing a brief description and a link to where you can find out more. So without further ado, there are our adventure news briefs for this week:

PCT Permits to be Restricted in 2020: A few weeks back, the Pacific Crest Trail Association announced some changes to its long-distance permit regulations for 2020. Those changes are outlined in this post to the PCTA’s website, but in a nutshell they’re looking to restrict the number of people starting on the trail at specific times. For instance, there will only be 50 permits issued per day for those leaving from the southern terminus between March 1 and May 31. This is to avoid issues when traveling through the Sierra Range, where snow can be an issue even late into the summer. Also new, is the fact that if you leave the PCT in the Sierra for anything more than a resupply, you’ll need to get a new permit altogether. If the trail is in your plans in 2020 or the years that follow, you’ll want to plan accordingly.
World’s Tallest Indoor Climbing Wall to Open in Abu Dhabi: Gym climbers looking for the ultimate test will want to head to Abu Dhabi after November 29. That’s when the world’s tallest indoor climbing wall will make its debut at CLYMB. Just how big are we talking about? Gear Junkie says it will be more than 140 feet (42 meters) in height.
Runner Sets New 24-Hour Record: How far can you run in a 24 hour period? Chances are it isn’t as far as Camille Herron, who managed to cover 168 miles (270 km) over that span of time, setting a new distance record in the process.
Wolf Creek Now Open for Skiing: The calendar now reads November, which means ski season is just around the corner for parts of North America anyway. Case in point, Wolf Creek in Colorado opened yesterday — just in time for Halloween — with Nova Lift and Magic carpet now running. Get out there and hit the slopes already!
What You Can Learn From Taking Public Transportation Across Africa: This article by Steve Madgwick is a little older — having been published almost a year ago — but its been getting some attention of late because it’s nominated for several travel writing awards. The gist of the story is this, Madgwick took public transportation (buses, trains, taxis, ferries, etc.) the length of Africa, and discovered some interesting things along the way.
REI Adventures Shares Its Most Popular Trips: REI Adventures has offered some amazing opportunities for travelers to experience great excursions all over the world for years. This week, the company revealed its most popular trips, which include hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, trekking to Everest Base Camp, and a multisport excursion to the Galapagos Islands.
Interesting New Mountain Sports Backpack Debuts on Kickstarter: Sometimes the most innovative outdoor gear comes from smaller brands, rather than the larger, more established companies. Case in point, the new backpack from Impetro Gear that debuted on Kickstarter. Fully funded in less than 24 hours, the pack looks to be a complete ecosystem for outdoor athletes, offering a modular system that includes a specially designed harness and several different packs that can be zipped on and off as needed. Check it out here.
Western River Expeditions Grand Canyon Reservations Coming Soon: Rafting the length of the Grand Canyon is a popular bucket list item for many adventurers. The problem is, getting a permit is very hard since they tend to sellout in minutes and are booked years in advance. Earlier this week, Western River Expeditions announced that it would begin taking reservations for 2021 at 6:00 PM Mountain Time on Tuesday, November 12, 2019, so set your alarm clocks, mark you calendars, and get ready.
Land Rover Announces 4xFAR Live Music and Adventure Festival: Speaking of marking your calendars, Land Rover has announced that it is launching a music and adventure festival called 4xFAR. The event will take place January 18 and 19, 2020 in the Coachella Valley of California. Attendees will be treated to music from Young the Giant, Tijuana Panthers, and others, while to climb on a rock wall, ride mountain bikes on an obstacle course, and go slacklining too. Best of all, they’ll be the first to check out the all-new Defender.

That is all!

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Kraig Becker

Kraig is an outdoor and adventure travel writer based in Nashville, TN. Over the course of his career, he has contributed to numerous online and print outlets, including Popular Mechanics, Gear Junkie, Outside Online, National Geographic, Digital Trends, Business Insider, TripSavvy, about.com, and of course The Adventure Blog.